Perfect Protection
by Ginzan
Summary: Some kekkei genkai's were cooler then others and better known, like the Sharingan or Byakugan. However some are mildly interesting, such as the Noragi family's. Their's was of healing and of protection. However when a daughter is forced into the medical field, things don't always go as planned.
1. First Day on the Job

[[I own nothing from naruto cept the awesome amazing character I make up and that yall are here to read about. I started this fanfiction a few years ago and I thought I'd fix it up and make it better. So the first few chapters might sound a little familiar but if you read the original I hope you enjoy this even more. I worked hard make it a million times better. Your reviews and favorite fuel me and my writing so tell me what you think! ~ Ginzan ]]

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 _"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time."_

 _-Thomas A. Edison_

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I watched the sky from the rooftops as the clouds slowly drifted on the wind, being pulled toward the horizon. The sky changed from its normal perfect blue to one of oranges and reds. It was my favorite time of day. The time between day and night. The clouds drifted peacefully toward the east as the wind picked up ever so slightly. I wondered if they could realize what was happening to them, that there was nothing they could do to stop the current of the wind. They were forever stuck going whichever way the wind commanded them. The cloud could wish with all their might to go in a different direction, but the wind would pay them no heed, as it continued its pull.

Something spooked a few birds in a group of trees nearby and they shot up in the air. Flying the opposite direction of the clouds. I watched as they fought the wind and forged their own path. One they chose to part take in.

Were people like birds or clouds? Were we meant to ride the path that was easiest for us to follow or were we meant to fight and forge our own path? Such deep thoughts to have right before work but it was hard to hold my mind back. It would wander to the other side of the world if I had the time to let it think of such things. Though sadly my time had been slowly dwindling as my new position in emergency ward quickly approached.

With a short sigh and book in hand, I shifted my gaze to my left, looking at the stone faces of the Hokages. My eyes stopped as I looked at the second one. Tobirama Senju, my parents spoke well of him. Scanning the rest of the faces, observing them carefully. Though they bore very little resemblance to the real thing, you could see who they were going for.

Another sigh escaped my lips as I shut my book and set it off to the side, and looked in the direction of the hospital. From this height, I could see a couple of the roofs that made up the main building. It was the largest one in Konoha and it dealt with the majority of the emergency that occurred on a regular basis. Why couldn't they have put me in a small little clinic on the quiet side of town that took care of most of the civilians? Though I knew better to ever dream of such a peaceful living like that.

Tomorrow was going to be my first-day taking care of patients. I finished the last of my classes and I was ready to enter the workforce as a medical-nin. Most would be ecstatic about this but I wasn't. I always felt I was born into the wrong family or maybe switched at birth. I was only doing this because I was meant to. I dreaded going to work. I wasn't good with people or with pain. Both of which were gonna end up happening to me.

I took little joy in joining the medical field but I had little option. My entire family were medical-nin and, for good reason. From my mother's side, she had a minor Kekkei Genkai that was quite good for medical use. She had even met my father while working, and boom that's how I and my siblings ended up in this world.

Her Genkai was called Shigan. Though not as famous as other Genkai's, ours was quite unique. It allowed us to protect people who we bound ourselves to. Though I had yet to try it, my mother told us plenty of her own experiences and told us to not fear it. She told us how every mission she would bond with her teammates before they would start. If they were to be injured or poisoned she would take the damage to her own body instead of their own. She could never die from the wounds but doing so cause her great pain and if any of her teammates would die, the effect it would have on her body was horrible. What allowed us to do this is that our chakra was plentiful and it flowed through our body more so than average ninja. Whenever our bodies would sustain injury our chakra would rush to the spot and start healing, without command from the body or without hand signs. It was quite handy as a child when you got a scratch or a broken bone from a brother pushing you off a roof.

Though we could take most any injury, some were impossible to stop. Deathblows and internal organs failing. If someone's heart was pulled out their chest or if they lost a limb, we could not take those types of injuries. A slice or a cut was easier than perhaps a gaping hole in the side.

She tried to describe to us what happened when she would take an injury, but most of the time we couldn't understand. That was till she showed us with our father. She made a few hand signs that my brothers and I had long since learned and bound herself to our father. Taking a knife from our kitchen, she cut him ever so slightly. Though we saw it cut his flesh, it quickly healed and left only the faintest of scares that would soon also disappear as if there had never been a cut. He didn't even flinch from the cut. However, on mother, a wound appeared and we could see her cringe ever so slightly. However, it healed almost as quickly thanks to her Genkai's. At the time when she showed us all, my brothers seemed in awe of this power, while I just stared in horror. What a horrible power to have. To have the ability to save others in favor of your own pain. How could you ask a child to grow up like that?

My two elder brothers were great at taking the pain of others. My eldest brother was an ANBU and the other was currently being considered to be a Jonin. Then here I was, hating every moment of being a medical ninja and dreading my first day. Though I did my best to avoid my family ever really knowing how much I hated it, some days I thought my mother would look at me sadly.

Turning my attention away from my thoughts and back to the horizon, the clouds had all but disappeared leaving me only with the setting sun. Only the very top of it shown through the edge of the treeline before disappearing as if never existed. Wouldn't that be nice? To just disappear and have no one know where you were? Though the sun was also ruled by its own path. It would always rise and always set, without fail. Closing the book I got to my feet and headed in the direction of my home. I dreaded tomorrow but it would come no matter what I thought or felt. Might as well try and get some rest before the horrible day I was going to have tomorrow.

Sleep didn't come easy, even with the sleeping pill I took, I couldn't even close my eyes for more than a moment. So when the time came to wake up and prepare for the day ahead of me, I looked horrible. My normally soft green eyes were muddied and hollow looking. This was only complimented by the rat's nest that was my hair. It was a dark red that hung as far down as my fingertips. However, it looked a few inches shorter thanks to all the knots that now claimed my hair as their new home. Pulling it into a low ponytail I hoped that no one really noticed how bad it looked.

Pulling on a pair of blue scrubs I had bought for my first day, I sighed at the image that reflected in my mirror. I looked bad and I felt even worse if that was possible. Walking downstairs I was greeted with an empty home but a small plate made for me. Everyone had already headed out for the day for their own work. Taking a piece of toast I put the rest back in the fridge for later. I was going to be late if I didn't get going soon.

The walk to the hospital was a short one that I also hated. It was so close to my home that if they ever needed me, I could be there almost instantly. I didn't want to be the person everyone relied on when shit hit the fan. I was the person who didn't want to be there.

Walking through the back entrance to the emergency sector, another nurse in bright pink scrubs stopped what she was doing and looked at me oddly. She hadn't seen me before but she seemed like she needed to tell me something important. "Go ahead and head home, you look like you need the rest." Ouch, that hurt. I looked so bad that they already thought I needed to go home. I should have just said ok and left but my moral part of me, no matter how small it was made me stay. After informing her that I was one of the new staff that would be starting today. She eyed me again and to speak to Nala, she was the head nurse and would instruct me on what I'd be doing. Great.

Having found my target I made my way over. Nala was an older woman who looked like she'd been doing this too long. She had short grey hair that curled at her ears and a large nose, though it fit her face well. I wouldn't call her attractive but she was average. I approached as she was sternly speaking with some of the other nurses who had made a mistake. I just now noticed that they were all in shades of pinks. I stood out like a sore thumb in my blue scrubs. But pink really really really wasn't my color.

Once I was close enough for her to notice the blue hue she annoyingly glared at me then back at her clipboard. She pushed past the first few dozen pages and stopped on one then focused her attention back to me.

"One, female nurses will only wear pink scrubs, blue are for men. Two, you will be working in extensive care since you don't appear very good with people,"

"Excuse me Ma'am but you don't ev-'"

"Three, you will not interrupt me while I am speaking. We have files on all the newcomers, and your says you have horrible bedside manners. The patients you will be taking care of will be either in too much pain or knocked out to talk with you. We can't do much for your scrubs for tonight, now pick up a chart and start being useful," Concluding her talk with me she continued with the other nurses she was talking to and completely forgot I existed. Great, this was going to be so much fun for the next 50 years. I grumbled to myself as another nurse had shown up and told me which beds I needed to tend to. I simply nodded and headed for bed 27. My very first patient all by myself. Oh, joy.

Pulling back the pale blue curtain that separates all the beds in this area, I found a young man lying in bed. He appeared to be out cold either from pain or meds. I hoped he didn't wake up. Though the head nurse was rude, she was right. I was horrible with people. I didn't care enough, as one of my previous teachers had told me. That I lacked the empathy for people that most medical-nin possessed. That had been a low day for me, to be told that the job you'd be doing for the rest of the life, was ill-suited for you and that you were already going to be bad at it. Thought I already knew this, hearing someone verbalize it, just made it worse.

Grabbing the chart at the end of the bed I looked over the information to figure out what was ailing the man and hopefully fix some of the issues.

Name: Kakashi Hatake

Sex: Male

Age: 26

Blood Type: O

Height: 181 cm

Weight: 67.5 kg

Rank: Jonin (Former ANBU)

Injury: Large laceration to the lower abdomen, suspected poisoned, high blood pressure, and dangerously low chakra reserves

I scanned the rest of his medical history. Seems like he didn't like coming to the hospital. Though to be fair, most ninja hated being here. I hated being here. They never thought themselves weak and being here in some minds was being weak. I didn't have an opinion on the matter. I normally healed quick enough thanks to my chakra that any injury I sustained would be healed in hours.

Every time he's been forcibly placed in here, I could tell by the different signatures that signed him in. A lot of them being the Hokage's own signature. Thanks to him being stubborn his injuries had gotten worse for the delayed treatment. Another common happening. Ninja's thinking they were invincible and pushing themselves too far. I wonder how that felt, to feel the need to do anything for the village.

I sat down the chart on the side table and checked his vitals on the machine. He seemed to be doing better, his blood pressure even had started to drop a bit. That was always a good sign. I turned and for the first real time, I really looked at him other. He had spiky white hair that I assumed made him look a lot older than he was, seeing as he was only six years older than I was. I reached forward and touched him carefully looking for any other wounds that wouldn't be as obvious as a wound to his abdomen would be. Using skilled hand, I did a mental check from a list I had memorized just for this.

Nothing in his hair, no other cuts or abrasions on his scalp. I moved his headband and masks out of the way. He had an old scar over his left eye that had long since healed. Something he must have gotten in his youth. His face was otherwise fine. Putting his headband and masks on the table I continued with my checklist. Until I had gotten to his abdomen everything was looking good. He had a few extra scratches but none of them were infected or had been deep enough to be the source of any possible poisons. I started to pull down his blanket but stopped when the cranky nurse pulled back the curtain to check on me. I quickly covered my lips with my fake smile and she rambled on to one of the other nurses who followed her around then promptly left. I held my smile for a few moments after she left then dropped it to my resting face.

Turning back to the patient I pulled back his blanket and observed his bandages on his stomach. The blood had already started to stain the white cloth. How long was he here that he already needed a bandage change? Opening a drawer next to the bed, I fetched some clean bandages and started to take off his old one. Once the soiled ones were off I could clearly see the wound. It was particularly nasty as the edges had started to show signs of infection. He also appeared to still be bleeding. If he was poisoned it appeared that it had a blood thinning property that was stopping his natural healing.

A thought hit me as I glanced toward the entrance of the curtains and back at the man that laid before me. I had never used my special ability on anyone and this looked to be a good time to start. If I was going to be a medical-nin I had better start being at least decent at it.

"I'm sorry if this doesn't work. I mean worse comes to worse I can't use it and I just have to use regular medication and medical jutsu," I spoke softly to myself as I started forming a few hand signs. My hands started to glow a soft green and I placed my left hand over his heart and said some silent words. After a moment, a symbol formed in the middle of his chest right above his heart.

I had no clue what would happen as the symbol finished forming. At first, nothing seemed to happen, the next a pain ripped through my body, forcing me to the ground in pain. I could feel the blade ripping through his flesh and organs. I could feel it as if someone had just done it. The infection was the worse part of it. I could feel it fester and boil as it formed and healed in my body. It felt like a bug had crawled into my abdomen and had started to eat the edges of the wound. I wasn't braced enough for what happened. I held my body closely keeping myself from screaming. I did my best to breathe deeply and calm myself down. After an agonizing amount of time, the pain started to fade but there was an ache that lasted no matter how long I waited for it to go away.

Once I was able to stand, I picked myself up and leaned against the edge of the bed, trying to regulate my breathing. Still holding myself, I looked at the man's stomach and there was a faint scar where his gash had been. I looked in awe at how it was gone. Something so huge was gone as if it had only been a mere scratch. Glancing at his blood pressure, it had returned to normal and he seemed to be in the clear now.

Placing my hand over the mark I had left on him, it disappeared. I sat down in the chair next to him and just counted my breaths. I never wanted to feel like that again. It was a terrible feeling. I had never been in real combat other than my Chunin exam and I'm pretty sure I only passed because I got super lucky in the last fights. I didn't deserve Chunin rank. I don't think I even deserve to be a ninja, more so after this small incident.

Covering my face with my hands and I felt tears start to slip onto my wrist. I was pathetic. Why was I even here? I don't belong here. I didn't care about these people. I was a piss poor ninja and I'm only here because of my family's Genkai. I'm the worst. I bit my lower lip hard to stifle a whimper. "Why am I doing this…" I asked softly to myself as the world started to collapse around me. I always knew I was never cut out for this. I should have been stronger to tell them that. To tell them I wouldn't be a medical-nin. I didn't know who I even was anymore. Because I wasn't myself. I was who everyone wanted me to be. Who they expected me to be.

Feeling a hand on my shoulder, my head jerked up. My very first patient stared at me with concern. A man who could have possibly died today on his mission was worried about little old me. The shame hit me and I stunned for a moment. I wasn't sure what I should do now. His piercing gaze had me trapped and his hand on my shoulder was almost the pillar of support that I craved. I could feel his gaze searching for something in my own and it scared me. No one had looked at me in this way.

Breaking his gaze I quickly apologized and stood up and out of his reach. This man had seen me for what I really was. I was a coward and weakling. I worked very hard to prevent anyone ever seeing this side of me. I quickly informed him that he would be fine and that there were chakra supplements on the table next to him and I promptly left.

Making sure there were no tears lingering in my eyes I made my way to the next bed. Though there was nothing more I'd rather do than to hide in a closet somewhere. Someone today had already seen my weakness and for at least today, no one else would see it. I avoided that area for the rest of the night as I continued as if nothing had happened. I changed people's bandages and gave them medicine just as I was supposed to. Thankfully most all the patients were asleep while I took care of them. A few woke up or were already awake from the pain and I had to try to keep them calm. Never in my life had I been cursed at as much as I had that night. Who knew ninja's got cranky in a hospital? The shift passed slowly as I learned about my new job. Other nurses would tell me what I was doing wrong, while the head nurse Nala would make annoying comments about my blue scrubs or that my bandages were poorly done. I would simply nod and just accepted her comments. Whether they were true or not, I didn't care. I just wanted to make it through this day.

Toward the end of my shift, I was sitting in one of the nurses resting room with a cup of hot coffee. I hadn't taken a single sip of it but I enjoyed the warmth I felt through the cup. Hospitals were always so cold.

"Did you see the patient in the third bed? He is so cute! I was half tempted to see if he was well endowed as his face was," I heard a few other female nurses giggling and I thought about rolling my eyes but kept quiet as I looked at the dark liquid in my cup.

Nala showed up not long after and looked around the room till she found me, "You are done for the night, get some rest and get here the same time tomorrow," I looked up just in time to see her leave the room. The other girls looked at me and I just smiled at them as I got on my feet and headed for the exit. I threw away the coffee as I left the rest area.

Once out of the hospital I made way toward the Hokage's heads. The trip was much longer than the one back to my home. It was late night maybe even early morning but I wasn't ready to go home. It wasn't long till I was on top of the fourth Hokage. I let everything go and watched the moon slowly make its way across the night sky. Tears streamed from the edges of my eyes without my consent as my body relaxed. I didn't care, no one was here to see me like this. I was alone once more and it was nice. I didn't have to hide who I was where I was alone. The moon would never share these moments we shared. She would simply greet me when she had the time and continue on her path.

"Would you trade me places? Do you hate your existence as much as I hate my own? Do you hate how you always must pull and push the tides? Do you ever wish, even for just a single day, to be the sun? Or are you happy?" I laughed softly to myself but soon it turned to sniffles as the tears seem to flow stronger. "I bet that was the first time anyone ever asked if you were happy. Maybe one day when someone asks me if I'm happy I'll be able to say yes and mean it. Though I won't hold my breath." Turning my head away from the moon, I sat up and looked over the village. The village that was my home.

My name is Aki Noragi. I am the third child in my family. My two older brothers loved their jobs and the "gift" we were given by my mother. My parents are madly in love and love all their children equally. I am 20 years old and just started the job I'll most likely have for the rest of my life.

My life sounded like it was anyone ideal one. Loving family. A good job that pays well. But here I was, crying like a child. I loved my family very much and they meant the world to me but this wasn't me. I wasn't meant to be this way. I don't even know what I want to be. No one ever asked and I never entertained the idea of picking. I accepted my fate long ago and yet here I was. Still crying about it. Would this be how I spent the rest of my life? Crying? No, at some point this would all be normal. After a few years, I would just be used to it. I would stop crying and just accept that this was my life. I wish I didn't have to.

But what other choice did I have?


	2. Good Morning

[[Ya'll are far too kind to me. I'ma cry. I hope you enjoy this quick update. For those who've read the old version will notice the major differences in the old versus the new. Which I hope is a good thing. Remember your Reviews fuel me to update more often. So tell me what you think! ~ Ginzan]] 

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" _Everything was perfectly healthy and normal here in Denial Land."_

 _-Jim Butcher, Cold Days_

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Waking up the next morning, was almost calming. Opening my eyes everything was quiet but bright enough to invite anyone to wake up and join the world. For the briefest of moments, I had forgotten the horrible night before. I stretched my arms above my head as I sat up. The sun rays came through the window in tiny rays and shown around my room. Rubbing my eyes, I slid out from under my warm covers and walked to my mirror and took my brush and started to absentmindedly deal with the mess I knew would be waiting for me.

With each pull, the memories of last night flooded back into my mind. My enthusiasm faded with each thought as it passed through my mind. Using my Kekkei Genkai was the low of the terrible night, and then there was the man who had caught me at my lowest. What was his name again? Something wit think. I paused what I was doing to try and recall it. I had only looked at it for the briefest moments. Shaking my head, I knew it was pointless. Asking a nurse to remember a patient that she only took care of for a few minutes was impossible. I couldn't remember any of the names of the people that I took care of, and if I was going to remember one, his would have been it.

With a sigh, I turned my attention to the task at hand. I had managed to get the left side free of knots and now I had to get through the right side. As I worked through the pain my door creaked open and a small brown puppy came bumbling in like a drunk old man. I smiled in the mirror as I watched it do its best to navigate my room and find its way to my feet. Having finished with my hair I bent down and picked up the small animal.

My parents had gotten me this little guy as a present when I finished the last of my class. Mother told me that they had been looking for the perfect present when they happened upon a box with a few puppies in one of the shops, and when she saw this little guy she knew he was perfect for me. I'm not sure what gave her this idea but I was grateful. He was a bright spot in my life. One that would never dim and would always be there for me. He would never be a ninken but he would always be there when I got home. I smiled at the thought and loved on the pup. I was rewarded with tiny puppy kisses.

Setting him down on my bed, I changed out of my sleeping kimono to a calming green one with a yellow sash. By the time I was ready to head down for breakfast Haku had managed to find a loose thread on my covers and was in the process of pulling it out. "Hey!" I raised my voice enough to spook the pup and catch his attention. "Stop it!" I laughed and picked him and loved on him some more. Another barrage of kisses.

Heading down the stairs I set the pup down and walked down the hallway towards the kitchen. My room was located in the back of our small family compound. It took a few minutes for me to leave the house or even reach the main parts of it. Though I didn't mind, I enjoyed being more secluded then my brothers. It was the spaced I craved. The hallway was on the far side and was an open-air hallway that opened up to our backyard. A few steps led you down into the yard from the hall. I had just passed them when Haku had bounded onto them and into the grass. I stopped and sat on the edge of the floor and waited for him. He jumped around and chased a butterfly before deciding his need to pee was more important and quickly found a spot that suited his fancy. I laughed at the small creature. He was a good distraction.

"You not coming to breakfast? Too good for us now?" I looked up to find my middle brother walking toward me. He was already dressed in his Chunin attire, ready to head to work after he ate. He sat down next to me and watched Haku with me as the pup found the pond and was testing the rocks to see if he could walk on them without falling in.

"Pff too good my butt. We both know Ikari is the pride and joy of this family, and you're not far from him Kariko," I pushed him softly with my shoulder as our eyes were on Haku who almost fell in the water. I wondered what the koi thought of this invader.

Kariko was no less strong than our older brother Ikari. Though with him being the oldest, he's had the most time to accomplish his goals and he wasn't slowing down. He was in the ANBU Black Ops and he grew stronger every day.

We all garnered some sort of shade of red for our hair from our mother who had dark red hair. Mine matching the closest to hers. However both my brothers had gotten dark emerald eyes from our father while mine was a much paler green. We were a misfit family but I couldn't ask for a more perfect one. I loved them all from the bottom of my heart. I only wished I was as strong as them. To be able to protect others not be the one protected. I shook those thoughts out of my head for the moment.

"Damn straight. Watch it, one day I'll be Hokage and I'll be ordering him around and he'll have to listen to me," He laughed an evil laugh, loud enough to spook Haku who promptly fell into the pond scattering the koi. We both stopped, then burst out laughing as the pup jump out and started to softly growl at the scary koi that must have booped him while he was in the water. We both laughed hard as we did our best not to cry. I wasn't sure why this was so hilarious but it was a good feeling to laugh like this.

"Can you both not? Some people like to have a quiet peaceful morning," An annoyed Ikari appeared in the doorway of the hall closest to the main buildings. He also was already dressed for work but left his mask off. He had his hair pulled into a ponytail and he just glared at the both of us. He was definitely the most obedient and normal of us but the most boring as well. I scratched the back of my head and just smiled at him while Kariko stuck his tongue out at which only annoyed our brother more.

Before either of us could react, he threw a medical pack at Kariko and it landed perfectly in the middle of his forehead. He didn't wear his headband on his head so he took the hit, head on. Leaving a red mark where it had landed.

"OUCH," Kariko held his head and I just laughed at him. As long as he was the one Ikari threw things at and not me, I wasn't going to complain. Kariko picked up the pack and threw it back at him, hoping it would do some damage but it was in vain. Our elder brother only caught it and put it back in its place in one of his many pockets.

"Stop playing around and let's get something to eat," Ikari softened his tone and smiled at us both as Haku came bounding up the short stairs with some difficulty. I rubbed his head and nodded as I got up. Kariko followed fashion as the three of us made our way to the kitchen.

The kitchen was located in the main building just off the entrance. Perfect for grabbing something when in a rush. As we walk through the doorway, Ikari pushed the curtain out of the way. Father was already at the head of our table reading the paper and drinking a cup of coffee. He was quite a large man standing above the 6-foot mark. He might look scary to someone who had just seen him but if you ever talked to him, he was a giant teddy bear. He sported short choppy black hair and a large scar across his face. It started from left temple and ended on the right side of his chin. Though my mother didn't seem to mind it.

Mother was humming as she fluttered around the table and kitchen setting everything up for us. She stood closer to the 5-foot mark, same as me but I was a little taller but not by much. She smiled at us all as we came in, "Good morning everyone." we all greeted her with great respect along with our father.

I had only sat down next to Kariko when my father locked his eyes on me with a huge grin, "So how was your first night? Have to better than when Kariko started. If I recall he bumped into a cart of meds and knocked it over spilling pills everywhere," the bombing laugh from my father was one of the best qualities he had. He was such a genuine person, that I refused to believe anyone could hate the man. Kariko pouted from being reminded of his first night. I giggled at him and thought about my night.

"I wore blue scrubs instead of pink and the head nurse Nala got mad at me. I'm pretty sure she hates me," This only caused my father to laugh again and slap the table a few times.

"Nala is still alive? She must be really getting up in age. Also, don't worry, she is always like that. Even when she was your mother's sensei, the scariest woman I have ever met, but she is very protective of her people. I remember when I first started to court your mother, she would throw me out for sneaking in to see her. Then one time when I pretended to be hurt so that your mother could take care of me, Nala took care of me instead and put me through hell. She fed me this nasty medication that made me want to puke my guts out," Father made a face like he might throw up from the thought and we all burst into laughter. Ikari only smiled but you could tell he enjoyed the story as much as the rest of us.

"To be fair back in the day your Father didn't give good first impressions. When he first met Nala he called her granny and I'm pretty sure that is why she hates you. You always reminded her that she was old," Mother teased him even more as she placed a bowl of rice on the table and took her place next to Ikari. Father pretended to cry at all the memories where Nala had done mean things to him but quickly recovered as we started breakfast.

The talking dwindled as we enjoyed our mothers cooking. This was my family, we weren't perfect but I couldn't ask for anything better.

Mother fed Father a piece of broccoli with him protesting only for a second before reluctantly eating it off her chopsticks. They were so in love that sometimes it hurt. My love life was few and far between. I had dated a few guy's while I was still a genin but besides that, I had very minimal experience. Ikari was engaged to a very nice civilian. Sari if I recalled was her name. He proposed about half a year ago and she accepted without a second thought. I was always curious what our parents thought of him marrying a civilian but they showed nothing but happiness for the engagement.

Kariko, on the other hand, was special. He prefers other guys rather than girls. He had dated a few of the girls when he was younger but somewhere along the way, he changed his preferences. He was currently dating the adopted son of the Aburame clan, Torune. He was already Jonin and from what Ikari told me, he was going through the process to become an ANBU. And then there was little old me. Single and most likely always going to be that way. My thoughts wandered back to our parents. What did they think of our pack of misfit children? The heir marrying a civilian. The second being gay and not producing any children. The last one who was a hopeless mess. Though they would never say something, I was curious if they worried.

Haku pulled me from my thoughts by scratching at my leg and looking at me with pleading eyes. I stared down in horror as this little puppy had already mastered the powerful puppy eyes jutsu. I was powerless as I grabbed my plate and put it on the floor so the little guy could finish off my breakfast. It wasn't much but he was happy to get the treat either way. I watched him happily eat in his victory. One day I'd have to put my foot down and not let him beg, but today wasn't that day.

Ikari was the first to leave the table to head to work. Father followed a few minutes later then Kariko. I told Mother I would take care of the dishes. Grateful she kissed my cheek and told me to have a wonderful second day at the hospital. With those words, she was off to her own job.

"And then there was one," I said to myself as I started to clean the dishes from that morning. Haku barked at me as if to contest what I had said. "Ok fine, one and a 1/7th." I stuck my tongue out at the small pup who seemed satisfied with my words. Finishing up the dishes, I thought over what I should do for the day before I headed into work. Work. Ew. Everyone but me started their day at a normal time while mine started a few hours before they finished theirs.

Haku stared at me while I contemplated my plan, which helped. I needed to get him some dog food and some toys to keep him happy while everyone was away. As well, we could use some more food in the house, we were getting on the low side.

So it was decided, I would do some shopping before work. Nodding my head in the resolution I had reached. I headed to my room and quickly grabbed my wallet. My headband caught my attention on my side stand. I wore it on my forehead like most did. However, the cloth on it was black instead of the normal blue or green.

Though, for the moment, I didn't want to be a ninja. I was a normal adult woman doing some shopping. Retrieving my wallet next to it I headed to the front of the compound. Haku followed my steps till I got to the entrance. We had a double door with a sunk in area before you entered the main part of the house. This was where we left our shoes. Sitting on the edge I put some comfortable sandals on and loved on Haku before getting to my feet. There were a few baskets on top of the shelves for the shoes and I snagged one as I headed out.

This was one of the few things I enjoyed doing. To go out and be "normal". If you looked at me while I walked alone with my basket, you would see a normal civilian girl. I showed no signs of being a ninja or that I could be threatening in any way. Though to be fair, I don't think I was very threatening as a ninja but semantics.

The food market wasn't too terribly far from my home but my first stop was the Inuzuka compound. They had a shop where they sold ninken food and other supplies. They were the most knowledgeable about anything animal. They were a little further out but I didn't mind. The day was nice and walk would do me some good. I would be spending lots of time in the hospital and I never wanted to forget the beauty that our world held. My thoughts were interrupted by a yellow-headed kid running in my direction with a paint buckets in his arms. I quickly noticed he was running away from the Hokage heads that now had graffiti on them. I covered my mouth with my hand and tried to keep from laughing out loud at the sight.

I recognized the blur has he got closer as Naruto Uzumaki. The child that had the nine tailed fox sealed in him. I wasn't quite sure how I felt about him. We were all raised to hate him but as I've gotten older, why hate him? He didn't ask for this to happen to him. It is not his fault that he had the creature that almost destroyed the village. We should be happy that he helped saved us. He dropped the cans on the other side of a cart and quickly hid behind a large bush. I looked at him curiously until a Chunin came running looking for him obviously. He took a few gasps of air before noticing me staring at him. He thought me nothing more than a civilian and I was pleased by this.

"Excuse me, young miss, have you seen a kid with yellow hair and covered in paint?" He continued his scan of the area while he asked me his question.

"Oh I think I saw someone like that a few minutes ago," the Chunin got excited by this small fact and waited for me to tell him where Naruto had gone. "He went running that way I believe. Saying something about training grounds 7 I think." He thanked me quickly before jumping off in the complete opposite direction to where I was heading. I smiled as I watched him, "He's gone you can come out now." Naruto came out from his bush with his hand behind his head-scratching his yellow hair nervously. Smug that he got away.

"Thanks, Big Sis, you're the first person to not give me away. I'm Naruto Uzumaki and I'm going to be our next Hokage!" He smiled wide with his eyes closed. He was an adorable kid, how could people hate something this cute.

"Well Mr. Future Hokage, it wasn't for free. You have to carry my basket for me and help me shop." I stated sweetly and laughed as his face fell and he pouted like a five-year-old. I simply giggled at him and handed him the basket.

"Big Sis you were so cool before you made me do work," He sulked as he walked next to me on the way to the Inuzuka compound.

"Hey, I think I'm still pretty cool. How about, after you help me I treat you to something to eat? Got anything particular you enjoy?" I didn't know how big of a mistake I had made by offering the kid food. He suddenly seemed like nothing in the world could stop him from helping me as long as he got fed.

"RAMEN! YES!" He jumped in the air and clicked his heels together, now has happy as a little puppy. "I love ramen. Have you been to Ichiraku Ramen before? That's where I love to eat. They have so many flavors. Like pork and beef. When I'm really lucky they'll even throw in come octopus," His mouth started to water and droop start to drip out of the corner as he fantasizes of ramen. Such an odd thing to love but, who was I to judge?

"I haven't eaten there, so you will have to show me. I personally love octopus and eel. So maybe we'll get that and see how good it is." His eyes got wide with happiness and did another jump in the air. He was so energetic, it was almost refreshing compared to how my brothers acted. Sure, Kariko had the most energy out of the three of us, but it paled to Naruto. I don't think anyone could have his amount of enthusiasm.

Naruto talked non-stop as we walked. He talked about everything under the sun. He didn't require much input from me so I listened to him. He talked about his schooling and about how he was about to graduate to genin, with the next step being Hokage. How Iruka sensei was always so mean and made him do lots of extra work but normally treated him to ramen so it was ok. Iruka was only a few years older than I was. If I remembered correctly Kariko was in the same class as him. Though beyond that I didn't know much about him.

"Oh speaking of class, do you not have class today?" I asked curiously, we had long since passed the academy and were almost at my first destination. He should be in class right now if I recalled. It had been a moment since I'd been in the academy but they didn't get many days off.

"Oh well, um about that…" He stammered and looked away. His mood doing a 180 as he tried to find the right words to tell me he was skipping. He was scratching the back of his head and didn't really wanna talk about it.

"NARUTO!" Iruka showed up and grabbed Naruto by his ear and instantly Naruto was trying to escape the skilled Chunin. He had dropped the basket he was carrying for me. "You are supposed to be in class right now!" He yelled and Naruto made a face like he was going to puke. He needed to be rescued however I doubt I would be of any use.

"I'm sorry Iruka, I had found Naruto and he owed me a favor. So he was carrying my basket for me. I should have known he should be in school. My apologies," Mother taught all of us to always be polite and respectful. Iruka finally noticed my presence and looked me over. He seemed to recognize me but couldn't seem to put his finger on it until it hit him, "Oh your Kariko's younger sister, yea?" He had loosened his grip on Naruto's ear and he quickly escaped his grip. However, Naruto's curiosity was more important at the moment then escaping and rushed in front of me.

"Big Sis you know Iruka Sensei?" Iruka made a face at big sis but I wasn't paying much attention to him at the moment. I had a small child demanding answers.

"He graduated with my brother. I don't know him personally but I know who he is. I think he even took the Chunin exam with my brother." Stars were in his eyes as he looked at me with excitement.

"Does that mean you're a ninja too Big Sis?" He had his hands clenched in fists in front of his chest. He was getting a little too excited for my liking but I didn't know to fix this except answer his questions.

"I am. I am a Chunin," He nearly lost it and started talking so quickly that I couldn't understand him. I caught a few words but nothing worth much. He was halfway through his second barrage of questions when Iruka grabbed him again.

"Sorry to cut this short but I need to get Naruto back to class. Sorry if he bothered you," And before I could respond they were gone. I stood there quietly for a moment then just giggled. I can see why people would be turned off by that amount of energy. I could see myself getting turned off on a bad day, but for the moment, it was almost endearing. He looked at me with so much enthusiasm and joy that it was hard not to have a weak spot for him. However, I had to finish my shopping before I had to change and go to work. Ugh, work.

Continuing my journey to the Inuzuka compound, my spirits were a bit higher thanks to Naruto.


	3. Suzuki

[[Yall are too nice to me. I promise to keep this story going as long as I can with yalls help! Enjoy this chapter where we learn more about our loveable Aki and how she got in this huge mess. ~Ginzan]]

* * *

" _Negative emotions like loneliness, envy, and guilt have an important role to play in a happy life; they're big, flashing signs that something needs to change."_

 _-Gretchen Rubin_

* * *

The rest of the walk to the Inuzuka compound was pleasantly quiet after Naruto was carted off back to the academy. Though his conversation topics were interesting, nothing quite matched the silence of nature. The wind blowing the leaves in the trees making them rustle, the birds softly chirping to one another about their day and one of my person favorites was running water. Streams, waterfalls, or even the ocean. The sounds were perfectly harmonizing in a way that only nature could produce.

I bowed my head slightly as I entered the compound and acknowledged the Jonin that was on guard to keep most of the riff-raff out. Lucky me most of the shops were located close to the entrance so I wouldn't have to go far to get the food for Haku. Finding myself stopping in front of the first shop, it was brightly colored with drawn puppies on the windows. With a soft smile, I walked through the door only to be greeted with a giant dog sitting in front of me, blocking me from going further in. I looked down at him curiously unsure why I couldn't shop here.

"Sorry, we are already closed. Most of the shops around here close about this time," A young genin stepped out with his own ninken. He was cute for a kid. I huffed a sigh, defeated before I had even started.

"Thank you for letting me know. I'll have to remember that, first time buying here for my new pup. Have a wonderful da-" I was caught off by someone opening the door behind me. The small bell sounded as the door opened slowly. Now I was trapped between a ninken and someone else who had been too late to shop as well.

"Am I too late?" The man behind me asked sheepishly. The boy laughed at this and started to grab something for him. Who was he that he was so special they would sell to him and not me. I wanted to pout at how it was unfair but knew better than to do something so silly in public. Glancing over my shoulder I froze when I saw who was behind me. My first patient. The one that had seen me at my lowest. He was taller than I was by a foot. Unlucky for me, when I had turned to look at him, he also glanced at my face. So there we stood, just staring at one another as if the other was an alien.

"Kakashi you need to try and get here before we close, mother won't sell to you if she's on shift, not me," The boy spoke as he walked around the shopping picking up different things. I wasn't watching but I could hear things rustling as I was locked in the eyes behind me. Kakashi. That was his name, wasn't it? It sounded familiar.

"Excuse me," I whispered with a voice that didn't sound like mine. It sounded scared and I hated it. I was cowering in front of a man I'd only had the briefest contact with. I was pathetic.

"Kakashi?" Lucky me with his name being called out for the second time, forced him to look up and acknowledge the small child that held everything that he had needed. With this distraction, I slipped by the man without giving him a second glance. He looked like he might have stopped me but walked forward to continue his interaction with the ninja.

"Oh sorry got distracted for a moment and yes yes, your mother can be quiet scary when she wants to be," He made a worried face as he checked out.

Out in the fresh air, it felt like I had been holding my breath while he was behind me. I pulled the oxygen into my lungs and held for a moment. Seeing him was traumatizing. I was ready to be over with this whole ordeal of my job and existence. I had resolved to not cry anymore, to never use my kekkei genkai unless my family was in danger, and I was going to find the highlights in this job and do my best not to bad at it. Releasing the breath, I quickly left the compound not wanting to run into this Kakashi ever again. He was the sole reminder of my failure and I had no interest to ever see or meet the man again. Though I didn't realize this at the moment Kakashi Hatake would be in my life, whether I wanted him there or not.

Putting some distance between him and myself, I found myself taking the long way to market. Though I wasn't going to complain. I still had plenty of time, especially now that dog shopping had been canceled. The quietness was calming and helped relax my nerves. Not long after my journey to the market, I found that my trip passed right by the memorial stone. A place I hadn't been since… I stopped in front of it only a yard away as I looked at the rock. So many names lingered here to be honored. They gave their lives for the village. Something I knew I could never have done.

"What's wrong with me Suzuki?" I spoke softly as I took a step forward and sat politely on my knees in front of it. My still empty basket sat beside me quietly as I mourned the friend I lost. This had been the first time I had returned since they had added her name.

Closing my eyes I let the memories flood to the front of my mind as I forgot the world around me. Suzuki had been my very first friend. We met when we were both six years old after she had fallen out of a tree. Her mother had brought her over to our house since it was closer than the hospital and full of medical-nin. We had been the closest of friends anyone could have known. Or At least I thought so.

She had been the first person to see me for me. Back then I wasn't Aki Noragi the medical-nin. I was Aki or Kiki if I liked you. I was a quiet young girl that just existed. Even when we started school she was always there to talk to me and make my life brighter with just her smile. She would have made a great Hokage. I knew she was going to do it too. Deep in my heart the moment she told me that was her dream. Her dream to keep her village safe and everyone in it. Most importantly her family and… And me.

* * *

A piece of paper was given to all of us. I started at it curiously as I picked it up and turned it over. Nothing was written on it but it didn't feel like the normal paper we used during class. Suzuki was next to me just staring at it before she started to crumble it and put it in her mouth to eat. My eye grew huge as I was watched her do this.

"What are you doing? Stop that!" She only eyed me and continued to shove it in her mouth. After a moment she spits it back out and started making gagging noises. Scrapping her tongue with her nails to try and get the taste out. I laughed at her as the entire class erupted and laughed with me. We all got a kick out of the odd and silly things she did. She was definitely a unique ninja in training. I gave her a huge smile as she yelled a boy behind her that had called her an idiot. She was so loveable. How could anyone not love her?

"Alright class that's enough," the class quieted down as we returned our attention to our sensei. "Today we are going to figure out your chakra affinity. The five basic natures are the five elemental chakra natures which are the foundation of all elemental ninjutsu. They are so vital to the shinobi lifestyle that each of the five great shinobi countries is named after one of the five.

Each element is naturally weaker than or stronger than another. First is fire, which is strong against wind but weak water. Wind is strong against lightning, weak against fire. Lightning is strong against earth, weak against wind. Earth is strong against water, weak against lightning. And finally, water is strong against fire, weak against earth.

Basically, if an elemental technique is put against another elemental technique of the same level, but of a stronger nature, then the technique with the superior nature will prevail. However, a technique with a weaker nature can overpower a technique with a stronger nature if the former is of a higher level. For example, fire can overpower a water technique if it is first strengthened by a wind technique.

A similar principle applies to how the technique of the same element interacts, what is called counterbalancing. If two techniques of the same nature and the same level are used against each other, they will cancel each other out, as when you use a lightning ninjutsu against another lightning ninjutsu. However, if the two techniques have different levels, the higher-level technique will not only prevail but will grow stronger from interaction with the weaker, as when a high-level fire technique, would grow stronger by absorbing an opposing fire technique." He stopped for a moment and threw a piece of chalk a kid in the far back that had fallen asleep. Though to be fair this was kinda boring. I hoped it got more interesting, I was curious about chakra affinity.

"I hope if we find out what our affinities are, I get earth. Earth Ninjutsu is so cool. One day I'll be able to smash my fist into the ground and the ground will do as I command," I whispered to Suzuki as sensei and the kid were arguing over something.

"Earth? Laaame. Wind is where it's going to be at. One day I wanna fly on the winds like a bird. I could go wherever I wanted to go. I could travel the world before I become Hokage. Learning amazing jutsu and beating up bad guys." Her eyes shone with excitement as she spoke. This is one of the reasons why I loved her so much. She had everything planned out but nothing expected. No one told her to be strong, to be the greatest ninja in the leaf village. She just was.

"You'll come with me right Kiki? If you do get lame old earth then we could be the unstable duo! I would come from sky's while you hit them from the ground. It's the perfect combination!" She turned her attention to me as stars filled her eyes as she planned out our future. I loved the idea. To spend my ninja career with my best friend. What more could I have asked for?

"I think that sounds perfect," I smiled at her with my eyes closed trying to keep the tears from slipping out. I was so happy.

"Alright attention back to the front." The kid was now tried up next to sensei as he spoke." So In general, every person's chakra has an affinity towards one of the five basic nature transformations. Affinity can at times be genetic, or at least common to a particular family. For example, most members of the Uchiha clan have an affinity towards the Fire nature. One's affinity can be determined using pieces of paper made from a special type of tree that is grown and fed with chakra. When this chakra induction paper is exposed to even the slightest hint of chakra, it reacts according to the chakras latent element." By this point, all of us had taken our eyes from our sense and to the paper in front of us. This small piece of paper would tell every one of us what our affinity would be.

"Everyone pick up your paper and concentrate on it. Push your chakra towards your fingertips and see what your affinity is." I held my breath and closed my eyes. I would have given my brother to have an earth affinity but as I used my chakra and opened my eyes my paper split down the middle and piece I hadn't been holding on to fell to my desk. I looked at it curiously, not sure if that was the outcome I wanted. I looked over to Suzuki and her paper had wrinkled up. We both looked confused as everyone around us had their paper do various things.

"Now if your paper ignited and turned to ash you have a fire affinity. If the paper turned to dirt and crumbled away you are earth. If it's wet, you guessed it, you have a water. If you now have two pieces of paper, yours in wind. And finally, if it just wrinkled up, you are lightning." The quiet room was soon charged with happy, annoyed, and confused ninjas to be. My affinity had been wind and my best friends was lightning. I knew she was going to be disappointed and as I turned my attention back to her she was jumping up and down in her chair.

"LIGHTNING! That is sooooo cool. No one can stop a lightning bolt. One day I'll be the fastest ninja. I'll be able to steal all the cookies when moms not looking," I watched as others around her talked to her about it. Apparently lightning was a rare affinity compared to the others but I was more confused about her change. She wanted wind but got lightning. However, she wasn't upset about it. She was excited. I was amazed that she just accepted that that is how things were and was going to make the best of it. Suzuki was amazing.

* * *

Being completely opposite but perfect together. Suzuki was a strong ninja and was determined to be the next Hokage. Naruto reminded me a lot of her. They both had blond hair and had the same ambition. She became a Chunin a few years before me, in the same exam as my brother. She really was the quickest ninja in our class. She showed us all that when she won every match with expert speed and use of her ninjutsu. She had been well on her way to being one of the best ninja's that Konoha had ever seen.

Though her dream never came true. Her and her entire team had been whipped out on a mission to the land of mist. That was the day, that changed my entire life. Though I loved my family, Suzuki was my most precious person. She was there when I learned about my kekkei genkai. She listened to me and told me I could be whatever I wanted to be. She taught me to love this village and gave me the will to protect them.

All those feeling disappeared when she died. If my most precious person couldn't accomplish her dream then what hope did I have. Only she ever heard me talk about what I wanted to be. What I wanted to do. That day, the day my life stopped being my own, was when I signed up to be a medical-nin. I stopped training my other skills and focused all my energy on healing and chakra control.

"Hmm," A soft hum brought me out of my thoughts and I looked over my shoulder to once again find the white-haired man. Why was I seeing him everywhere? I wanted him to just go away and never looked in my direction again. I wanted nothing to do with him. Turning my head away, I forced my attention to the stone, hoping he would leave when I didn't speak with him. No hope as a silence filled the air as I became more and more aware of his presence. Not even ten minutes passed before I was at my limit.

"I do not wish to talk with you or ever see you again," I spoke quietly but I knew he would hear me. He was a ninja after all. I was being polite but had a resolution in my voice.

"Hmm I wonder why you say that, but I suppose we all have our own reasons, however," He paused looking for the right words. I didn't like where this was going. He was not deterred by my words and seemed to have a plan already coming into this conversation. A very bad sign for me.

"However, I need to speak with you. You don't have to respond but I saw something dangerous that night in the hospital," I cringed as he brought the exact moment I wanted to forget, "I've seen that look in others eyes." His voice had gone down an octave and it was carried on the wind. A pleasant base that he must have used in many different situations to get his way.

"I don't wish to discuss this with someone who's only ever spoken to me for the first time moments ago." I stood and grabbed my basket and walked passed him, a lot faster than my normal pace when walking.

"You're going down a hard path." He hadn't moved from his position as he looked over the stone himself. "One filled only with sadness and devastation," he paused for a moment before he continued, "That night when I looked into your eyes. I saw myself when I was younger. Much younger then you," He laughed at his own words but I wasn't going to listen. I didn't care. Whatever he had to say, the wind could carry it all the way to the sand village. They had a better chance of hearing them then I did.

However, Kakashi had a different plan. As I tried to make my escape, a hand my on elbow stopped me. I stopped and turned to look at the man before. A man that had no idea I existed until yesterday now deemed himself the person to "save" me. His stare had something hidden behind it that I couldn't read. I could feel the deepest and darkest part of my soul start to react to him. Something deep inside me that I haven't accessed in a very long time. It scared me.

The wind around us picked up so hard that Kakashi's stare was interrupted by him being forced to close his eyes. "Leave me alone," the words were quiet as the wind calmed down. Kakashi opened his eye and looked back at me. With some surprise, he gaged the situation differently than before. I yanked my arm from his grip and turned away from the Jonin. "I am who am. I've accepted my fate long ago and I don't wish to be bothered by you about unimportant things. Mind your own business, and hope you aren't ever under my scalpel." As I walked away from the silence in the air could have been cut with a butter knife.

My heart was beating quickly giving away my emotions plainly. I wasn't the one for threats but I felt that if I hadn't been aggressive towards the man, he would keep bothering me. He didn't know the pain I've gone through. I was going to protect myself. He had good intentions but they were misplaced on me. I was beyond saving at this point. Maybe in another universe, if I had this when I had been broken, I might have accepted the help, but this wasn't another universe. This was my life and I was prepared to live it in whichever way it was destined to be lived. Not wanting for him to stop me from leaving again, I did a hand sign as I walked and my body disappeared into a flock of birds that dispersed into the sky.

In another universe, I could have saved Suzuki, but I was too weak.


End file.
